TikTok is no longer just for teens, or is it? The platform aspires to expand in tandem with its core user base. TikTok is now offering an adults-only option for live streamers who want to limit their viewership to those 18 and older as the first step toward maturity.
TikTok suggested two potential scenarios in which broadcasters would want to adopt an age restriction. “Perhaps a comedic act is more acceptable for adults.” “Alternatively, a host may intend to relate a difficult life experience and would feel more at ease knowing the talk was limited to adults,” the company said in a news release on Monday.
Those arguments may look simplistic, but TikTok’s move to age-restrict some of its material is unlikely to convert the site becomes the next Only Fans. The platform rigorously prohibits most “adult” content. “We do not permit nudity, pornography, or sexually explicit content,” according to the company’s community guidelines.
Nothing in the current statement implies that the rules for adult-only services will be different. Gizmodo contacted TikTok for clarification but did not receive an immediate response. However, just because the site says sexual stuff isn’t allowed doesn’t mean it won’t emerge. TikTok has already struggled with moderation, and films that should be restricted based on community rules frequently slip through the cracks.
The company revealed planned adult-only streams, as well as changes to the livestream feature. A multi-guest stream, for example, will let users include up to five visitors. Furthermore, the app promises that it will upgrade its keyword filtering capacity to provide artists with reminders and tips for managing their own livestream comments and interactions.
Age related changes
Notably, the corporation also reported an age-related change to live streaming. In the near future, adult users will be able to stream. TikTokers who have at least 1,000 followers and are over the age of 16 can currently livestream, although that age limit will be lifted to 18 on November 23.
In its business blog article, TikTok did not go into depth regarding the change, instead framing it as an extension of its existing in-app graduated age limits (such as the 18+ limit on monetization and the 16+ limit on direct messaging). Once again, the company did not answer directly to Gizmodo’s inquiry.
Both the adults-only streaming option and the new age restriction on who can stream were presented under the title “our continual work to help keep our community safe.”
The business model and interface of TikTok are becoming increasingly reliant on live broadcasting. In 2021, live streaming revenue accounted for approximately 15% of TikTok’s total revenue, but it grew nearly twice as quickly as the company’s online ad business in the previous two years.
Because TikTok does not split ad revenue with producers, one of the best ways for users to make money on the network is through streaming. However, the company has recently been chastised for collecting a significant cut of so-called “gifts” and “tips” supplied to platform broadcasters.
In one particularly heinous scenario, a sources investigation showed that TikTok and “middlemen” swindlers were allegedly pocketing up to 70% of the donations earned by refugees begging on the platform.
TikTok
TikTok, commonly known in China as Douyin, is a short-form video hosting website owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It offers a diverse selection of short-form user videos ranging in length from 15 seconds to ten minutes, including pranks, stunts, tricks, jokes, dancing, and entertainment.
TikTok is the international equivalent of Douyin, which debuted in China on September 2016. TikTok was launched in most locations outside of mainland China in 2017 for iOS and Android; but, it did not become available internationally until August 2, 2018, when it merged with another Chinese social media service, Musical.ly.
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